Shelter
by MythicMittens
Summary: Dark, Post-Apocalyptic AU. The world above is no longer fit for human life. Those who survived the great war were driven underground, living in small concrete colonies. One of these colonies is plagued by a man known as the Phantom. Christine loves to sing, but knows that such a useless profession is not logical. That is, until the Phantom takes an interest in her.
1. Chapter One

**Summary:** Dark, Post-Apocalyptic AU. The world above is no longer fit for human life. Those who survived the great war were driven underground, living in small concrete colonies. One of these colonies is plagued by a man known as the Phantom. He is always seen wearing a gas mask, even underground. Christine loves to sing, but knows that such a useless profession is not logical. That is, until the Phantom takes an interest in her…

**A/N:** Hello, everyone! I haven't written much fanfiction lately, my writing energy has been going into roleplaying more than anything. Still, I got this idea rather quickly and it was too good to pass up. Hopefully I'll be able to update my other stories soon, as well! It's a little bit inspired by the _Fallout_ video game series, but you certainly don't need to know what that is to read it. Enjoy, and please review!

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**Chapter One**

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Sighing, Christine struggled to stay awake. She didn't really understand why they had to learn about history. When life was so difficult, why didn't they just focus on now? To her, it didn't matter what country had dropped the first bomb, only that it had happened and that it was why they now had to live likes this.

In truth education was a very small part of her life, two to three hours a day. They were taught some history, basic math skills and how to read and write. Most of that was just so they could handle the basic tasks they would need later in life when they were assigned their jobs, a bit of it was so that they could simply claim that they were more civilized than most of the colonies struggling to survive. Christine realized why she was being taught what she was, but couldn't help but want to know more about art and music, topics that were always avoided in the Colony. Creativity was mostly viewed as a waste of time, so no one ever bothered to talk about it. Unfortunately for Christine, music was the only thing she felt passionate about at all. Most believed that it was just a childish whim, and that she would grow out of it, but she knew better. Whenever she laid down on her cot to go to sleep, she would remember when she was a very little girl and her father would play his worn, old violin for her and she would sing.

Meg kicked her under the table, bringing her out of her thoughts. She immediately looked up and noticed the teacher giving her a glare. She blushed slightly, embarrassed that it had been so obvious that she hadn't been paying attention. Meg had been her best friend since she was little, having been the only girl around her age in the Colony. In addition, she was also the daughter of the matriarch and leader of the colony, Mrs. Giry. Though, if you asked many members of the Colony who the leader was, they'd say the Phantom.

Distantly, a bell rang, calling for the end of the morning shift and time for the lunch break. Christine stood from her chair with a stretch, squinting as she looked up at the artificial lighting. She had always found herself wishing she lived above, though she had never known anything else than the Colony. There had been descriptions of what it had been like above, before the war, and that was enough to fuel her dreams. She dreamed of sun and moon and stars, and of open areas instead of just gray, concrete walls. This was considered another one of her silly dreams, but she knew that everyone in the Colony dreamed of it too.

The main hall was noisy with voices and the clatter of plastic trays on metal tables as she and Meg entered. The main hall was actually where everyone bellow eighteen slept, the cots pushed off against the walls during the day. After eighteen, you were paired off with a spouse and you got to share a room. Christine was just two weeks away from eighteen, and honestly found herself dreading it. She knew who her spouse was; shyly, she glanced across the room, trying to get a glimpse at him. His name was Raoul, she remembered, and he had seemed nice enough when she first met, but she hadn't really felt any sort of connection. She knew it was their job to make sure the human race didn't die out, but the whole thing just seemed so rigid and forced that she couldn't help but feel uncomfortable thinking about it.

Meg was a few months younger than her, but already much more excited. "Oh! Christine, I forgot to tell you, Mom told me who my spouse is gonna be! You're not supposed to know until a month before but I managed to nag her into telling me. It's Dylan! You know, that guy that sits to the far corner in class?"

Christine gave her a funny look as she collected her tray and walked with her friend to their table. "You mean that guy with the weird nose?" She offered, teasing her friend.

"Hey!" Meg frowned, swatting at Christine's shoulder. "You're talking about my future husband! And that's easy for you to say; you got the hottest guy! _And_ I heard that he came from a rich family, y'know, before the war."

Christine blushed, staring down at her tray of nondescript and rather unappetizing food. Raoul was rather attractive, though that didn't really change much for her. And family status mattered even less in this time. Still, she didn't really wish to talk about any of this with her friend, so she merely agree. "Yeah..." She replied, though it wasn't convincing. She pushed the food on her tray around; she hated to waste food but she just wasn't hungry.

"You alright, Christine?" Meg asked, leaning closer. "Because you don't look alright. What's wrong?"

Christine sighed and shook her head. "It's nothing... Just stupid stuff, really. I don't want to worry you."

Meg looked like she was going to press the issue when the bell rang again, signaling the end of lunch. "_God _I hate those bells!" She exclaimed, rolling her eyes as she stood up. "Anyways, this isn't over! I'll talk to you later, but Melanie is going to be pissed if I'm late again! See ya!" Meg called, skirting around the tables and nearly running into someone.

Christine was more leisurely, making sure to clean off her tray before placing it in the collecting area. She hadn't really shown any proficiency in any useful task, so she hadn't been assigned a specific job. Instead, she picked up what little work needed to be done here or there, filling in the smaller roles. It wasn't horrible, but it was quite often boring. Today, she found, it was laundry, which she found the most boring of all. To better pass the time, she started singing softly to herself, a wordless string of noises that simply sounded good to her. All alone in the small laundry room, she didn't believe that anyone would object. She went on like that for quite some time. At one point, she had gotten the strangest sensation that she was being watched, but she figured it was nothing.

She was abruptly brought out of her contentment when she heard footsteps coming towards the laundry room. It wasn't yet shift end, so she feared that she was coming to be scolded for singing. When Mrs. Giry rounded the corner into the room, her fear doubled. Mrs. Giry was an incredibly busy woman, and she never came out of her office for anything that wasn't important. This was bound to be more than a simple scolding. Christine clasped her hands behind her back and tried her best to look as penitent as possible. "Am I in trouble?" She blurted out preemptively. "If it's my singing, I'll stop! I just didn't think it would matter..." When Christine was nervous, she had trouble knowing when to stop talking.

Mrs. Giry gestured with her hand for her to stop. "No, child, you are not in trouble." One only had to look into Mrs. Giry's eyes to know that it wasn't an entirely true statement. However, Christine would have never expected the next few words to come out of her mouth. "The Phantom wishes to speak with you."

Christine's breath caught in her throat. The Phantom only ever spoke to Mrs. Giry, and even then it was only when he would make a demand or discuss his "wages." Why on earth would he wish to speak with her? Suddenly, Christine remembered all the horror stories the older boys and girls had told her when she was a child. The worst was one that she had known to be true; once, a man had spoken out against the Phantom, and had refused to comply with his demands. He had later been found in the lower vaults, hanged... That one had always given Christine nightmares. "Y-Yes.." She swallowed, moving to follow her. They passed through the halls, arriving finally at Mrs. Giry's own office. Briefly, she paused by the door, giving Christine a sympathetic look before shutting the door behind her. Christine looked around the office, but couldn't find anyone. She was beginning to wonder if this was a horrible prank at her expense when she heard his voice.

"You are Christine, yes?" He inquired, seemingly from all directions. Christine moved towards the middle of the room, looking all around, as if she could find him if she only looked close enough.

"Um, yes, I..." She started, trailing off as she clasped her hands in front of her.

"And you were the one who was singing earlier, yes?" His voice was rich and soothing, but nowhere near enough to calm her frazzled nerves.

"Yes, sir..." She tensed for a moment. "Does that displease you?" She was quite aware of what happened to those who displeased the Phantom...

A light chuckle resonated throughout the room. It surprised her to hear the man that nearly everyone feared simply laugh. "No, my dear, not at all. I am merely intrigued. Music and the arts are often the first things to go in times of great peril; I only wonder how you were able to retain them."

She ended up staring at the ground, having no way of telling where he truly was. Maybe he was a ghost after all, like they said... "Well, my father used to play his violin for me when I was very young, and I would sing along. He passed away, but I suppose he left that with me..." Even in her fear, she couldn't help but speak with a light fondness that warmed her tone.

"Then your father did right by you." There was a brief pause. "May I hear you sing?"

She shifted her weight from foot to foot, feeling uncomfortable. The Phantom, the one who terrorized the Colony and extorted from them, had singled her out just to hear her sing? This was just surreal. "I... I'm afraid I'm too nervous right now..."

"Well then, I will have to take a rain check."

Christine furrowed her brow, confused. He spoke so very oddly at times. "A what?"

"I will have to wait until a later time to hear you again. I would like to teach you to hone your beautiful voice. We could make it a daily occurrence, if you wished."

How was it that the man that the Colony hated the most seemed to care more about her than the all of them combined? "I-I would love that... But how will I keep up my work?"

"Never mind that. I will speak to Giry. From now on, your only job is to meet with me and sing."

She couldn't believe what she was hearing. Her dream had practically come true, but at the hands of the Phantom. Her mixed emotions overwhelmed her, but she had to accept the offer. "Then I will return here tomorrow?" She asked.

"No... Down here, the acoustics are horrible, but I know a place that is not a complete travesty. I will have Giry show you there."

"A-Alright..." She nodded. He made no response after that, though she stood around a few moments to make sure. The rest of her day had been a complete blur, with her going over the events of the day again and again, trying to make sense of it. But it simply didn't make sense... she couldn't understand it. But that night, when she went to bed, her dreams were once more filled with music.


	2. Chapter Two

**A/N:** Hey everyone! Thanks for the interest in my story. I really loved reading all your reviews, so please send more in!

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**Chapter Two**

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The next morning, when Christine awoke, she wondered if the whole thing had been a dream. She wouldn't have doubted it; she did have a rather active imagination. However, that thought was quickly dashed when she noticed the small bundle of papers at the foot of her cot. Immediately, she had known it had to be him, the Phantom. Christine quickly glanced around her, almost expecting him to be somewhere, in the distance perhaps. Then, she undid the small bit of twine that held the papers together. On top was a note on worn paper, the handwriting was rough and nearly illegible, but she managed to read it. _For you,_ it said. It was signed by the Phantom, confirming what she had already knew. She set the note aside and began sifting through the pages. They were worn and scorched in some places, but she immediately knew what they were._This is music! _Her father had carried a few, stuffed into the case of his violin. She had never been able to learn to read it, but it was unmistakable. _How did he find these?_

"Christine, you lazy bum! What are you still doing in bed, it's almost breakfast!" Meg teased, walking towards her. "Wait... What are those?" She asked, gesturing to the small stack of papers in her lap.

Christine looked up at her, bewildered. These were priceless. She had only spoken to him once... "They're music..." She replied, her gaze falling back down. Vaguely, she noticed that several people had stopped what they were doing to stare at her. Blushing slightly, she gathered the bundle up and retied it with the string, slipping it under her pillow. She tried to shrug off the looks, but she knew that they wouldn't be the last.

The day seemed to inch by so slowly after that, and Christine really couldn't be sure of how she felt. She found herself lost in thoughts in class, but instead of being scolded, the teacher gave her a look that resembled pity. That look only served to worry her even more. She was, by turns, excited and terrified. Every time one emotion took hold, she thought of a reason to bring the other into prevalence. She ate lunch in silence, detached from even Meg, who seemed to be growing more concerned by the minute. Christine tried her best to dodge all of her questions. She trusted Meg, truly, but she didn't know how she would react to the information.

Soon enough, Mrs. Giry appeared, tapping her lightly on the shoulder. Christine took a deep breath, scooping up the collection of papers from under her pillow. Meg gave her mother a confused glance, but the two were gone before she could ask any questions. Christine tried to calm her nerves, knowing that she wouldn't be able to sing if she was too anxious. Mrs. Giry led her down a set of stairs and through a small hallway. Down here, it was silent, peaceful. There was no noise or clatter or voices, and Christine finally felt calm down. Mrs. Giry gave a silent nod, not having said a word the whole time, before departing. Christine slipped into the room at the end of the hall. It was dimly lit, with only one uncovered light bulb hanging from the ceiling. She almost expected him to be there in the room, and she briefly looked around, finding nothing. Sighing, she clutched the papers to her chest and waited for him to reveal himself.

"So, you came." He finally spoke, his voice betraying no hint of emotion. If he was pleased, she wouldn't know.

She nodded, having given up on trying to understand where he truly was, or how he made it seem like his voice was everywhere. It was easier just to accept it. "It was always my dream that I could be a singer, like in the old days... That's never going to happen, but if this is as close as I can get, then I'll take it."

A bit of bitterness and resentment crept into his tone, though Christine had a feeling it wasn't actually directed at her. "Even if you have to associate with me to do so?"

"Well, no, that's not what I meant-" She tried to explain, in case he had taken offense. She wasn't technically over her fear of him, mind you.

He cut her off with a sigh. "I know, my dear. Now, I see you have the papers I sent you. What did you think?"

She looked down at the package in her arms, having honestly forgotten them. "Oh! I loved them, really... The only problem is that I don't know how to read music..." They were a treasure, and briefly she wondered if he'd be disappointed that she couldn't use them.

"No matter. I can teach you; it is a relatively simple thing, but you will need much practice before you are able to do it easily." His voice was soft and casual. "Do you know any songs currently? We could start with that to warm up."

Once again, she worried that she was inadequate. He said that he was interested in her because of her voice and interest in music, but what if that wasn't enough? What if he became disinterested at her lack of experience and decided to leave? This was the closest she had ever gotten to her dream, to true happiness, and she wasn't sure she could handle losing it. "Sort of... I don't know the words, but I know the melodies of a few songs my father taught me when I was younger... Though I can't guarantee I remember them correctly."

"Will you sing it for me, then? I will see if I can catch the melody." She nodded, standing up straight before she began to sing what she could remember. At first, she was reluctant, but grew slightly more confident as she progressed. The song was light and airy, and brought back so many wonderful memories. She finished, and the room almost seemed brighter than it had before.

"That was once a very famous song," he explained, seeming pleased. "Unfortunately it has almost been forgotten." He sighed. "I do know it, however. The lyrics do not matter at this point in time. Your memory is very good, but there were a few notes off. Here, let me show you." At once, the sound of a bow against the strings of a violin was heard. Christine never expected to hear that sound again, not after her father had been forced to sell his. She smiled, immediately, and he seemed to pause. "What is it?" He inquired softly.

"It's nothing, I just... I can barely believe this is happening... I never thought music would be more than a dream I had to hid, to ignore. And that you would make it all happen..." She sighed, content. "Thank you." She said earnestly. It was then that she decided that he wasn't the Phantom, not truly.

Christine was sure that if she could have seen him, he would have been smiling. "You're welcome, my dear." He replied, before beginning to play again.

The rest of the lesson went by quickly, much faster than Christine would have liked. Just as she was about to leave, she paused by the door. "Is there something else I can call you?" She questioned. She didn't want to call him the Phantom, not after how kind he had been today. It just didn't seem right.

He paused for a moment, seemingly deciding if he could trust her. Eventually, he responded. "My name is Erik." He didn't have to tell her not to spread it around, she already knew. With that, she gave a small nod and headed out the door.

* * *

For the next week, Christine felt as if she was in a dream. Every day she woke, had a few short hours of class, and after lunch was able to sing until the evening bell. Still, the joy she felt came with a bit of trepidation. She knew that somehow, it would end. Life had never been kind to her, so she had a feeling of approaching sorrow. It first came through in the not so subtle looks of the others gave her, the things they whispered when they thought she was out of earshot, but she tried to tell herself that it wouldn't bring her down. That it wasn't enough to kill her dream. But truly, it hurt. They were supposed to be a family here, protecting each other... And yet in their jealousy they had all turned on her without a second thought.

The worst of it came after another one of Erik's gifts. She had woken up to find a beautiful blue dress draped over the edge of her cot. Examining it, she had been amazed. Most everyone wore the same style of outfits, varying colors of white, gray or brown. Clothes were always handed down the generations and while they were efficient, they were never pretty. To find a dress like this was was a bit too large for her, and the hem was frayed slightly, but other than that, it was in good condition. It had a high waist and a long, loose skirt that swooshed with every step she took. Immediately, she fell in love with it, but it seemed that it was the last straw for the others.

"Well, it looks like the Phantom wanted to dress up his little pet." Someone behind her mocked. Christine was in line for breakfast, and though her cheeks flushed in anger and embarrassment. She tried to ignore it; they didn't matter.

"Yeah! I guess it's not hard to see what they're doing all that time..." His friend added, elbowing him playfully.

Christine took a deep breath, turning to face them. Sex outside of marriage was considered a rather large offense, not exactly because of any code of values, but because you were going against the rules and order of the Colony. "We just sing." She insisted, her voice cold.

"Sing?" The boys laughed, one of them coming closer to her, looming over her. All around people had stopped what they had been doing, looking on. Most seemed amused, and only a few seemed horrified. "I'd certainly like to 'sing' with you..." He propositioned, making his meaning very clear. Christine tried to step back, but he grabbed her arm hard. Fear coursed through her and tears were forming in her eyes, so much that she didn't even notice that Raoul had come up next to them.

"Stop." He ordered, his tone low and serious.

The boy merely laughed in response. "Oh, _sorry._ I forgot she was yours. Of course, I'm not sure why you'd want her now..." He pushed Christine away harshly, sending her to the ground. The crowd that had been watching in anticipation dispersed, going back to whatever they had been doing before.

Raoul bent down, helping Christine up. "Are you alright?" He asked gently.

A few of her tears had spilled over, but still she nodded. "Y-Yes..." She replied faintly. Without any warning, she through herself into his arms, sobbing into his shoulder. It was all so very unfair... She had found some sort of happiness and everyone wanted to rip it away from her. Raoul said nothing more, merely held her as she cried. After a moment, she pulled away, wiping her tears. "I-I'm sorry..." She offered quietly, staring at the floor.

"No, it's alright, Christine... You have nothing to apologize for." She lifted up her head to his eyes, and he smiled warmly at her. The bell rang, signaling the end of breakfast and the beginning of class. Raoul pulled away, expecting her to follow, but she didn't. She couldn't, not now. She couldn't face everyone staring at her, judging her. She gave Raoul a sad smile before leaving, and hurrying to the room that she and Erik used for their lessons. She didn't expect him to be there yet, but it was away from everyone else and that was what she needed.

To her surprise, he did come, but his response was not one she had expected. She had thought that he might comfort her, or at the very least simply get right into their lesson. She didn't expect him to be so angry.

"Who was that boy?" The temperature seemed to drop in the room a few degrees as he spoke.

She blinked, confused. Her eyes were still puffy and red from crying. "I-I don't know... He just started insulting me..."

_"__No._ Not that one. The other boy. The one you embraced."

"He's... He's Raoul." She explained, not knowing why it mattered. "He's my fiance."

He made no response for a moment, and when he did, it offered no explanation for the way he was acting. "I see."

Christine dropped her head into her hands, trying to fight the urge to cry. She had come here to escape from it all, and yet her tutor offered her no comfort. He seemed to soften at this, and his tone was much lighter when he spoke next. "I apologize. I can see today has been difficult, and I promise you nothing like this will ever happen again. Now, would you like to sing?"

She nodded, though something still wasn't right with him. Still, she knew if anything could make her feel better it would be music. The sound of his violin resonated throughout the room, and she began to sing.

Even though the rest of the lesson went well, Christine indeed knew that her dream had died. The next morning, the boy that had terrorized her earlier also received a gift; a noose had been left across the foot of his cot.


End file.
